Soldier
by Maculinea Arion
Summary: decades of fighting have finally affected Minako and she's drawn one conclusion - it's time to leave the sailor soldiers
1. Chapter 1

"Minako you can't be serious

"Minako you can't be serious!" Rei gasped,

"This is between me and Usagi" Minako grumbled, watching her four friends stand side by side, shock and dismay etched upon their faces.

"No this concerns all of us" Makoto grumbled in retaliation; Usagi remained silent.

"I made an oath in that life, and now I am going to live 'my' life" Minako spoke coldly,

"What about duty" Ami whispered, loud enough for all to hear, Minako remained silent.

"What about friendship?" Rei growled angrily, Minako shot her a glare.

"My friendship remains, however I will not continue to live in order to protect another persons dreams" Minako retaliated,  
"We protect this world" Makoto snapped.

"I am not a soldier!" Minako screamed, everyone stepped back in disbelief.

"Minako" Usagi whispered, a tear falling down her cheek – she could see Minako's frustration, was she to blame for this?

"You are a soldier, you were born a soldier and you will die a soldier" a foreign voice called from behind Minako, she swerved around to see Haruka and Michiru come through the temple arch.

"I am not a soldier, I'm Aino Minako – I make my own destiny" Minako's voice nearly broke,

"Afraid not sugar, you have and always have been the Warrior of Venus" Michiru's voice shot coldly.

"You're wrong!" Minako yelled. The couple smiled, looking at one another and giving a subtle head nod,

"Minako" Artemis's voice spoke from in front of Rei. Minako swerved around to look at her old companion,  
"what has gotten into you?" he asked curiously, everyone awaited an answer. Minako's head hung down,

"I won't spend my life making your dream come true Usagi, I'm tired and I just wont' do it anymore" Minako sighed.

"You make it sound like you've been fighting most of your life" Haruka growled angrily,

"Pretty much Haruka" Minako sighed, turning around to exit the temple.

"what are you just going to quit on us" Michiru snapped, grabbing Minako's arm.  
"Let her go" Usagi spoke, in an instant Michiru let go of Minako's arm and made an exit for the blonde.

"But your highness, how can –"Haruka stuttered, Rei, Ami and Makoto watched with teary eyes as their former comrade walk into the horizon.

"My queen, please forgive –"Artemis stuttered, looking at Usagi in desperation.

"I always knew there were things that Minako would never say, she was always the strongest of us – everything has to have a reason" Usagi attempted to smile, as she brushed the tears that fell from her eyes away.

"What reason could she possibly have for this?" Michiru barked, turning to watch Minako's silhouette completely disappear from site.

"She's had a hard life" Artemis sighed,

"No harder than the rest of us" Rei shot back instantaneously.

"Actually, that's not completely true" Usagi interceded,

"What?" Haruka growled in confusion,

"Do you remember Sailor V?" Usagi asked curiously,

"vaguely" Makoto responded. Most of the inner scouts were twenty and twenty one years old now, it had been awhile since they thought back to their early teenager years.

"Artemis" Usagi spoke surely,

"Yes" he spoke unsurely,  
"I think you would be the best to enlighten us, I think it's time we learnt Minako's whole story" Usagi stated,

"As you wish" Artemis stated/


	2. Phase

Authors note: thanks guys for reviewing my story

Authors note: thanks guys for reviewing my story! I hope I don't disappoint with my portrayal of sailor v….. please review and tell me what you think.

Chapter two: Phase

"Venus has always been the strongest of us" Usagi whispered again, Haruka cringed at that comment – some part of her felt the pangs of jealousy course through.

"But she doesn't have much po-"Michiru commented swiftly, reading Harukas mind yet knowing the comment wouldn't come as wrong from her lips.

"Power isn't what makes us strong, it's our bonds and our will to continue above anything else that proves our strength" Usagi commented before Michiru could finish her comment.

Michiru nodded, although some part of her didn't understand,

"Duty – she's given her life for it" Usagi answered Michiru's unspoken question as she wiped her tears from her eyes.

"We've all given our lives for duty" Haruka snapped, she was still angry at Mina's desertion,

"Not really Haruka, with each of us there's something that we won't give up – Mina gave that something up" Artemis explained,

"and what is that" Haruka grumbled,

"love" his response came swiftly.

"Maybe it's time you explained" Usagi smiled at the small, dove coloured cat; he nodded assertively, jumping up next to Usagi to take a seat.

"Mina was awoken long before any of you, at ten years old I found her in a street in England" Artemis explained, everyone took a seat around him as he continued.

"I had received instruction from command to awaken her earlier than the rest, the dark kingdom was already on the move and Usagi wasn't as yet ready to become Princess Serenity.

Like Usagi she didn't exactly take to it initially but she soon understand the importance of her work, under the guise of Sailor V we were able to focus the youma attacks to London where she lived.

So for three years we fought side by side, taking on the dark kingdom and especially Danburite – I mean Ace Kaitou" Artemis began explaining,

"Wait, am I missing something" Haruka asked blankly,

"This was our first enemy – Queen Beryl" Ami explained, waiting on Artemis to continue his story.

"As you know Ace Kaitou was a former idol, Mina somewhat fancied him in a sense – but we found out he was an agent for the dark kingdom, so Mina had to kill him. I never saw it and she never spoke of what happened that day but I knew he had told her something" Artemis explained swiftly,

"Like what?" Makoto queried, Artemis looked at her with his large feline eyes.

"I don't know, she just changed… I couldn't explain it"

"It's only natural considering you're her guardian; of course you would feel that bond" Usagi smiled,

"Since then she gave up everything for her Sailor duty, her volleyball, her boyfriends, everything" Artemis sighed.

"but I still don't get it , even with all that Mina always stood by us – something has to be wrong" Rei commented, everyone nodded. They all wanted to believe that Mina would never do this, even if her words and her actions contradicted themselves.

"Maybe I pushed her too hard, I'm always saying she doesn't take things seriously enough" Artemis whispered softly in guilt,

"It's not your fault Artemis, but I think it would be a good idea if you went home and tried to talk to her – I mean it's not like she would have skipped town…yet" Ami spoke, whispering the last word in fear.

"Yeah, maybe it's just a … phase" Makoto responded uneasily.

Meanwhile

Minako sat in her room, the sun was now setting as she stared out of her bedroom window. In her hand she twirled a familiar playing card, branded with a large single heart;

"What do you want" she whispered curiously to the card; sighing in hopelessness.


	3. Ace

Chapter three – Ace

Chapter three – Ace

Mina looked at the phone as it continued to ring, challenging it like a matador to a wild bull. The answering machine eventually cut in,

"Mina it's Makoto, we need to talk, if your there pick up" it started, Mina let out a groan of frustration, this was the fifteenth message they left this morning; granted the ones from Haruka and Michiru were more visual than she expected, this was getting tiring.

Couldn't they just leave her alone for now, after all not everything could be worked out as a group; they needed to understand that. They needed to know that there were some things from Mina's past that they wouldn't understand, hell; she didn't even understand it all.

She needed time, and time was a thing not granted as a Sailor Scout. They would forgive her for now, or hate her forever; personally she was too tired to fight it either way. The answering machine died down, Minako held a breath of hope that they would finally leave her alone.

Suddenly the phone rung again,

"Aaaarrggghhh" Mina yelled, this was pointless. She ran out the door, out of her house and half way down the street, there now, no one could phone her here.

"Hey beautiful" a seductive voice came from nowhere, Mina swerved around and around, attempting to find an origin for the voice.

"up here" it responded, Mina shot a glance up to see a man standing on the light post.

Those eyes, she knew those eyes, that hair, that body; could it really be him, Ace?

"Ace" she gasped in fright, he jumped down, landing right next to her.

Mina didn't know why but that feeling of utter dread in her stomach wouldn't leave, like the first time when she found the playing card in her room. She knew that something bad was going to happen, and she would be the cause of it; that very thought scared her stiff.

"Hello Minako" he whispered, grabbing her hand softly and brushing his lips upon her hand,

"pleasure" he smiled.

After several moments Mina finally recovered from the shock,

"What are you doing here Ace?" she finally managed to stutter,

"I'm here for you Mina" he bridged the gap between them both and whispered in her ear.

Mina could feel herself blushing, but this was wrong, that she was sure of. The dread started when he reappeared, he was going to do something evil and if she didn't snap out of this she would be the cause of it.

"no" she spoke hazily

"come now my love" gently he coerced.

"What are you up to Ace?" Minako shot a glance at him; a smirk appeared in the right corner of his mouth,

"ah now love, everything in due time" Ace winked, a burning distrust formed in Minako,

"Till we meet again" he replied quickly before disappearing in a flash.

Minako groaned. That's all she needed, Ace evil – again. Why couldn't the hot guys be good for a change; that would make life much easier! But why him? The very man who predicted she would never fall in love, that she would be consumed with her duty to Usagi – why did he have to come back.

She began strolling, slowly down the street, contemplating her next course of action. It was obvious she had to find out what Ace was planning, then stop him from hurting anyone.

If she told herself the truth, she knew that Ace was back the moment she found that card, but she didn't want to admit it. Minako knew it was her duty to stop Ace, she couldn't let anyone interfere because there would be an agony in them knowing her secret. After all what would she say?

"hey guys this is Ace, he told me I would never fall in love, or have a life, and I've believed him for ten years that's why I can't seem to fit in or have a normal life" she didn't need them knowing that she was that weak.

Meanwhile

Artemis sat in a tree, his eyes went wide with shock – Ace had returned. Did this explain Minako's actions? He knew one thing was certain, he had to tell the senshi right away.


	4. Pluto

Minako sat in her apartment overlooking the Tokyo public gardens

Minako sat in her apartment overlooking the Tokyo public gardens. She sighed, they were so beautiful, part of her wished to be a part of it; but that would mean running the risk of running into the senshi.

She turned away, this was pointless. What would she do, stay in here for the rest of her life; no. Even if she wanted to avoid the senshi, she would still have to go after Ace. Suddenly a knock came from the door, breaking her train of thought; slowly she walked up to it,

"Who is it?" she called warily, standing in front of the door.

"It's Mamoru, can we talk" the voice responded firmly, Minako groaned, that's all she needed.

"No Mamoru, I know Usagi sent you but I don't want to talk ok" Minako sighed,

"no one sent me, I just want to talk" the response came swiftly,

"are you going to leave if I don't open the door?"

"Probably not"

"fine" and with that she opened the door.

"Come in" she answered in a monotone voice, stepping aside to let Mamoru in.

Minako moved to a sofa and sat down, gesturing for Mamoru to sit on the chair adjacent her,  
"so" she cut to the chase, which was responded by an intense glare by Mamoru. She should have been prepared for this, but still she gulped uncomfortably,

"how could you do this to us" he snapped,

"look if your going to lecture me, just get out" Minako rebutted even more swiftly. His look relented,

"your right, I'm sorry, part of me just hates how things are" he softened,

"well it can't be helped" Minako replied defensively.

"Minako, what happened" he asked, Minako could see the sincerity in his eyes,

"It's just. I don't want to be the person that I was" Minako sighed,

"but we are who we are Minako, there's no changing that; my destiny was to love Usagi" he replied surely, angering Minako,

"do you even hear yourself, your destiny to love Usagi – what about choice, what about free will, does that even matter to you?!" Minako yelled,

"Minako" Mamoru whispered, taken aback by the normally complacent blonde.

"Do you know how I've felt, I've always been alone Mamoru, always watching from the outside, I've had to give up everything I've known and loved for what, to be told how my life was going to go!" she explained,

"but Usagi never told you what –" he attempted to defend his future wife,

"you don't think I know that" she growled,

"than why?" he questioned fruitlessly,

"I have to deal with this myself" she whispered,

"is it Ace Kaito?" he questioned quickly; Minako's eyes went wide with shock.

"How do you know about?" she stuttered,

"Artemis saw a person talking to you the other day, he said it was a man you fought in the beginning" he explained surely. Minako whispered something under her breath which sounded along the lines of 'I'm going to have to gag that cat next time' which made Mamoru mentally smile.

"Did he tell anyone else" she sighed,

"For some reason he thought it best to tell me first to see if I could talk some sense into you" Mamoru responded surely. Minako laughed bitterly, sense who was he kidding,

"Let me ask you this Mamoru" she questioned, he listened intently,

"Are you here for Usagi or for me?" she questioned. Mamoru thought over it, in truth he was here for both of them, he thought of Minako as a friend, but he wanted to take Usagi's pain away more than anything,

"See, Mamoru, that's what I want to feel, so in love with someone that time just stops. Now I love Usagi as I do the rest of the guys, but I'm not in love with them" Minako whispered softly, answering Mamoru's question, he just watched her. It was true what Usagi said, Minako had been in a lot of pain for longer than she cared to say.

Minako laughed,

"I'm sick of being in a crowd and still feeling alone" she mused aloud,

"I'm sick of the facade, and I need time to figure out who I am" she looked at Mamoru, he nodded.

"It seems I'm not the one you need to talk to Minako" his response was swift, she cocked her head in curiosity,

"You're not the only one that has felt alone, just remember that" and with that he stood up. Mamoru knew he was right, there was one person that could understand Minako better than she understood herself,

"Pluto" Minako answered in a whisper, Mamoru nodded.

"I'll tell Usagi you just need some time" he answered, as he opened the door and walked through leaving a very thoughtful Minako behind.


End file.
